Ice Cream Truck Safety: New Equipment and Funding to Protect Children
This bill establishes a federal grant program to encourage states to mandate specialized safety equipment on frozen dessert trucks. The goal is to protect children who are highly vulnerable to traffic accidents when approaching or leaving these vehicles. In states adopting these rules, drivers will be required to stop completely when an ice cream truck deploys its flashing lights and stop arm, similar to a school bus.
Key points
States can receive federal highway safety funds if they require ice cream trucks to install specific safety gear, including flashing signal lamps, a stop signal arm, convex mirrors, and a front crossing arm.
The new requirements aim to treat stopped ice cream trucks similarly to school buses, forcing surrounding traffic to stop to prevent pedestrian accidents involving children.
The law mandates a study on pedestrian injuries related to these trucks and the feasibility of restricting where trucks can stop to sell items, preventing children from having to cross highways.
Expired
Citizen Poll